Glamming it up with the Mary Kay Summer Glam Box from Influenster

I don't know about you guys, but there's little more that I find thrilling than the opportunity to try out a completely new brand of makeup, especially if it's something you'd never really considered before or wouldn't have voluntarily bought yourself. And thanks to my Influenster membership, I was recently selected to receive some complimentary Mary Kay products to test out and review for my social communities.

I'll be honest -- Mary Kay, along with other independent sales consultant driven businesses like Avon, Scentsy, Stella & Dot and the like, have always kind of freaked me out. Although I love beauty, makeup and jewelry, I absolutely HATE being subjected to a sales pitch or being pushed to buy products I don't absolutely love. And the one time I agreed to help out a lady in my community, who was a Mary Kay representative, with her "model portfolio," that is exactly what happened. She turned the situation into an opportunity to corner me and try to get me to buy stuff, even though her invite hadn't mentioned anything of the sort. I digress. All this to say that while I'm sure Mary Kay products are fantastic, I've never really thought about trying them because I've always been afraid that I'd lose the independence of buying what I want or need versus what I'm pressured into. More on this later!

As part of the #MKGlam Influenster program, I received a wonderful assortment of products all themed around creating a great summer look! Inside my box was:

• Cream Eye Color in Apricot Twist
• Translucent Loose Powder
• Lash Love Mascara
• NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in Mango Tango
• Gel Eyeliner in Jet Black (with small applicator brush)
• Bronzing Powder in Light-Medium
• Mineral Cheek Color in Shy Blush
• A Cream Eye Color / Concealer Brush
• Large Powder Brush

(P-S: None of these are affiliate links, just here to be helpful!)

Since I received the products, I've been playing around with them and am excited to share my first impressions with you. Let's start with the products I love:

1. NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in Mango Tango: This stuff is wonderful! When I first looked at the tube I got a little scared because the color looks quite bright and red, but in actuality this is the best of both worlds for a lip gloss. It's certainly pigmented, and pigmented enough that you don't actually need to wear a lipstick underneath, but it's not SO pigmented that you can't sheer out or build up the color to suit your preferences. This wound up being the perfect coral shade for summer and it's quickly become my go-to lip gloss that I carry around every day in my purse. (This product retails for $14, so it's mid-range in price.)
2. Gel Eyeliner in Jet Black: It'll be interesting to see how long this stuff lasts (I've had issues in the past with gel eyeliners drying up before I can use very much of them), but at first blush, this stuff is really great. You only need the tiniest amount to get dark black application, and it applied so smoothly without any weird clumps or chunks. I wish they carried this in more colors! (Retail price: $18)
3. Bronzing Powder: Since I'm fair skinned I have a hard time finding a powder that doesn't make my face look ruddy or muddy, but still gives me some color, and this definitely fit the bill! The pigment was just right and the texture was smooth and blendable. It has a very subtle shimmer to it that is just enough to create a sun-kissed glow and not make you look like a disco ball. (Retail price: $18)
   
4. Mineral Cheek Color: Guys, this is a total dupe for NARS Orgasm blush and at half the price (just $12!). I feel like that's enough said!

As for the products that fell flat for me:

1. Cream Eye Color in Apricot Twist: Unfortunately, with my super fair skin, this stuff just did not show up on my skin. I tried layering and layering and you couldn't even tell that I had put on any eyeshadow. I also wasn't crazy about the texture (very oily, in my opinion), but in general, I don't love cream eyeshadows, so it probably has less to do with this specific product. I would be excited to see how this looks on darker skin tones, as I imagine it would show up better. (Retail price: $14)
   
2. Translucent Loose Powder: Like cream eyeshadows, I'm also not generally a fan of loose powders -- they're just so messy! But I give Mary Kay credit for packaging this powder with a great click to open/close technology that actually helps keep things a little bit cleaner. That said, maybe I was just using too much of it, but despite the "translucent" name, this stuff actually made my fair skin look whiter and pretty chalky. I had to go back in with my typical powder afterward to smooth things out and add color to my face. (Retail price: $16)
3. Lash Love Mascara: I consider myself to be a mascara connoisseur -- I think it's one of my favorite beauty products and I am constantly trying out the latest and greatest from multiple brands. So this stuff, especially compared to my current favorite mascara (Too Faced's Better Than Sex) just didn't cut it in either the lengthening or volumizing categories. I found the application to be pretty sticky and despite multiple attempts at layering, it just didn't make my lashes longer or thicker. I also found it pretty challenging to remove at the end of the day, despite the fact that it's not a waterproof formula. (Retail price: $15)

All in all, I've really enjoyed getting the chance to try out products from this brand, and indeed it has made me curious about what else they have to offer. I also discovered that Mary Kay now allows you to complete online orders through their Web site rather than having to visit a consultant in person. Clearly this has its up and downs because you can't try the products before you buy them if you aren't seeing someone in person, but perhaps for me it's a better option as it eliminates the possibility of a hard sell. 

If you're interested in learning more about Mary Kay products or buying some yourself, you can visit their Web site at www.marykay.com -- from there you can place your order straight away or get set up with a consultant. 

Have you ever tried anything from Mary Kay? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!